Michele Bachmann: Sarah Palin Not A 'Competitor' (VIDEO)

05/31/2011 08:44 am ET
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Updated
Jul 31, 2011

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AP/The Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — Rep. Michele Bachmann, who is considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination, said she thinks the race can accommodate both her and Sarah Palin during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday.

Both women are favorites of the Tea Party movement. But Bachmann says she doesn't compare herself to Palin -- she compares herself to President Barack Obama.

Bachmann says there's "enough room for a lot of contenders" to challenge Obama in 2012.

The Minnesota Republican asserted that she considers Palin, the GOP's 2008 vice presidential candidate, a "friend," not a "competitor." But she said that she has no problem running against a friend.

"I compare myself to Barack Obama, not any other of the Republican candidates," she explained, according to The Hill. Later in the segment, she added, "And I think there's no question that in 2012, the Republicans will field a wide bench of contenders against President Obama. And I think the comparisons will be very favorable."

Bachmann spoke to ABC from New Hampshire, which holds the GOP's first presidential primary next year. She is expected to announce her campaign decision in Iowa next month.

Bachman repeated her plan to announce her presidential plans next month in Waterloo, Iowa, where she was born and lived as a child before moving to neighboring Minnesota. But it sounded as though her mind was largely made up.

"I've had this calling and tugging on my heart that this is the right thing to do," Bachmann said during a taping of the public television program, "Iowa Press."

"People want something new and different and that's one thing I've established with my voting record," the conservative hopeful said.